Madam, - An amateur sporting organisation, the GAA, situates its headquarters, Croke Park, in Dublin's north inner city. On a frequent basis, this organisation hosts sporting and other events which attract more than 80,000 visitors.
Although welcome to the area, the visitors cause traffic and parking disruption. Dublin City Council has proposed a solution to this problem: introduce bylaws which impose a parking restriction on match days in a 1km radius around Croke Park.
Under the proposed bylaws, residents within the radius will have to pay an annual fee to avail of a parking permit and non-residents will be excluded from the area on match days. With reference to the residents in the area, Tim O'Sullivan, executive manager of the council's traffic department said: "A realistic proportion of the cost of the implementation of the bylaws should be borne by those obtaining an advantage from them" ( The Irish Times, September 13th) .
Could Mr O'Sullivan explain how the residents would obtain an advantage from a bylaw which enables them to park outside their own homes? Could he further explain what would happen if a resident would like to receive a car-driving visitor of their own, or a care-giver delivering support, or a midwife dropping in on a new-born baby and recuperating mother?
I would be grateful if Dublin City Council would stop thinking of Croke Park as being surrounded by a frequently problematic residential hinterland, but rather think of it as a frequently problematic sports stadium located in a densely populated residential area. - Yours, etc,
JUSTIN SYNNOTT, Foster Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin 3.